Mars
This is the second of six prints from the New Pantheon of Democratic Mythology portraying Whig statesmen as figures from popular mythology:—in this case, George Walpole as Mars. For more about the series in general, see my commentary on the frontispiece to the New Pantheon of Democratic Mythology.
Appropriately for a representative of the God of War, Walpole was first known for his military service in Jamaica. There, unlike his two predecessors (who died trying), he was successful in quelling the 1795 insurrection of the native slave population known as Maroons.
© Trustees of the British Museum
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But his pugnacity carried over into other parts of his life. In negotiating a truce with the Maroons, he had pledged to prevent them from being transported from the island. So when the government reneged on its promises, Walpole, who had now become a member of Parliament, presented and defended the Maroon's petition to remain in Jamaica. He failed to take the hint when Parliamentary leaders conveniently "lost" the petition and (after Walpole "found" and re-presented it) argued that the evidence was inadmissible. His military and parliamentary career both suffered from this stubborness and bellicosity.
Gillray portrays Walpole as a small man with a large sense of himself, a man who would be Mars. His huge hat is a revolutionary parody of the helmet of Mars. His sword and lance are much too big for him, his hat is almost as long as his legs, and his shield could easily cover his entire body. Gillray makes sure that we don't miss the resemblance to the aggressive-looking tom turkey behind him. His shield mirrors the puffed up breast of the turkey, his nose mimics the turkey's sharp beak, and his splayed feet are long and claw-like.
© Pinterest
Walpole first appeared in Gillray's work as George Tierney's second in The Explanation which recorded the duel between Tierney and William Pitt. Later he also appeared as one of the many Whigs opposing Pitt's new taxes in Meeting of the Monied Interest. In every case, his belligerence is insisted upon.
Sources and Reading
- Commentary from the British Museum on Mars.
- Draper Hill, Mr. Gillray The Caricaturist, 1965. p. 81n.
- "Mars (mythology)," Wikipedia
- "George Walpole (British Army officer)," Wikipedia
- "George Walpole," History of Parliament
- Thomas Wright and R.H. Evans, Historical and Descriptive Account of the Caricatures of James Gillray #232
- Thomas Wright and Joseph Grego, The Works of James Gillray, the Caricaturist; With the History of His Life and Times p. 259.
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